Winter Wonderland
by shyath
Summary: Femslash. Fleur/Hermione. Fleur Delacour and the case of an unforgiving English winter - and oblivious, potential in-laws. Hogwarts-era, non-epilogue compliant, utterly flufftastic  yes, I totally did just use that word! .


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. Seriously.

**A/N:** Written for Femmefest 2011 for groundedgranger.

**A/N2:** Thanks to silent_cassia for the great beta job! Any other mistakes are my own. Remember that reviews are food to the amateur writer (read: me) and they'll be much appreciated (read: loved), so REVIEW away!

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><p>"'Ermione?" Fleur hissed through chattering teeth into Hermione's ear, torn between needing her girlfriend awake and not wanting to rouse the brunette from what she knew to be a well-earned rest. The blonde's toes twitched once more in a vain attempt to stimulate circulation and she decided Hermione would accept the inconvenience as crucial for the preservation of her much imperiled extremities. "<em>Ma cherie<em>, please wake up."

"Fleur," Hermione mumbled drowsily in response as she shifted languidly in Fleur's arms, burying her face in the crook of the blonde's shoulder and emitting a pleased sigh as she settled into the new position.

"'Ermione, you 'ave to wake up. It's really cold," Fleur whispered insistently, resisting the urge to let her voice drop into a whinge. Delacours were above such petty conduct, thank you very much.

Hermione grumbled unintelligibly against Fleur's neck, evidently displeased with the continued disruption but began to slowly come around. "What is it?" she rasped, keeping her eyes tightly shut and inhaling the blonde's addictive scent to make up for her untimely awakening.

Fleur wrapped her arms more snugly around the half-asleep brunette in lieu of an answer. The brunette promptly jolted away when Fleur's fingers made contact with bare skin. "Zat's ze problem. It's very cold, too cold for me to sleep."

"Merlin, tell me about it. Your fingers feel like blocks of ice!" Hermione exclaimed in slight alarm, already becoming more alert as she began rubbing their hands together. "Did the heating turn off?" she enquired apologetically.

"I don't know, but it's been zis cold for a while now," Fleur replied softly. "I'm sorry I woke you up, _cherie_."

"Nonsense. I want to know when something's bothering you. Especially something like this! On that note, you really ought to have woken me up much, much earlier," Hermione scolded, eyeing Fleur disapprovingly.

The blonde shrugged sheepishly. She knew Hermione was more concerned than she was upset. "We've been travelling all day. You needed your sleep."

Hermione pursed her lips. "That may be so, but I love you and I want to be informed when something's amiss, all right? I hate knowing that you suffered for Merlin knows how long while I was blissfully ignorant because you didn't want to wake me up."

"I'm sorry. I was confident I could 'andle it, but it never gets zis cold in France," Fleur mumbled.

"Don't apologise, sweetheart. I'm not angry," Hermione assured, sighing with relief that Fleur's fingers felt a little more human now. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing here. I should have warned you that our house has always been a bit drafty." Hermione pouted. Had she ruined their first holiday together as a couple? She knew she had forgotten something, but she had been so ecstatic that Fleur had agreed to accompany her home for the winter break to meet her parents that it did not even cross her mind that Fleur might be uncomfortable during her stay.

"'Ow about we agree zat no one is at fault? Don't worry, _ma précieuse_, I'll be fine after I've 'ad a few days to adjust. We Veelas are a 'ardy bunch," Fleur jested, trying to lift Hermione's spirits.

Hermione chuckled tiredly. "That you are. But seriously, how are you feeling now? Should I go and make you something warm to drink? Maybe that will help. Or maybe I'll grab a few more duvets? I think we have extras in the attic -"

"I'm fine, 'Ermione," Fleur interrupted when it looked like Hermione was getting out of bed to do exactly what she had proposed. "Trust me. Just stay 'ere with me. I'm feeling a lot warmer now."

Hermione looked like she was gearing up to protest further, but the fight swiftly left her when Fleur looked beseechingly at her. She smiled despite herself and leaned in to press a chaste kiss against Fleur's lips. "All right. But you do know you never have to ask me that, don't you? I'll always be here with you."

Fleur smiled beatifically. "I know, _cherie_."

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><p>"I zink your parents are trying to get me fat," Fleur groaned as she gracefully dropped into the spot next to Hermione on the sofa, her hands rubbing her stomach ruefully.<p>

"They are not!" Hermione argued between fits of giggles. Her mother had in fact made it her personal mission to do just that a few minutes after meeting the two of them at the train station the day before, but Hermione was not about to enlighten the blonde.

In any case, she knew it was near impossible for the half-Veela to put on weight and it would be beyond precious to spend the remainder of the break playing audience to her mother and Fleur continue to clash ever-so-politely over every serving. Judging from her father's strained expression of indifference, he clearly shared her sentiments.

"Fine, your _mozer_ is trying to get me fat," Fleur persisted, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at an amused Hermione.

Hermione simply grinned at that, moving to straddle her girlfriend. Her heart swelled to the point of hurting minutely at the look of absolute adoration Fleur failed to hide beneath her display of petulance. "I think it should be considered truly unfair just how much I love you, Fleur Isabelle Delacour.

"If zis is an attempt to get me to turn a blind eye to your mozer's nefarious plans …"

"If it is?"

"Consider it 'ighly effective," Fleur husked before she closed the distance between them.

Hermione's eyelids fluttered closed in anticipation, her heart thudding wildly and blood rushing frantically in her ears in sympathetic tension. They had been romantically involved for nearly a year, but every single time still felt like the very first.

Her breath actually caught in her throat when Fleur's lips finally touched her own, her fingers automatically digging into pliant skin for a measure of stability as she enthusiastically returned as much as she received.

By the time they fell apart, foreheads pressed together and breaths puffing warm against each other's bruised, wet lips, the air had taken a decided turn for electric and Hermione was no longer in any mood for light banter.

"Upstairs?" Fleur suggested, eyes so pale with what Hermione knew was arousal that they were verging on silver.

Hermione was about to nod her utmost acquiescence when the sound of approaching footsteps reminded her that they were not alone. "My parents. They – Merlin, I can't –" She growled in frustration. "I'm _so_ sorry, baby."

Fleur inhaled raggedly and attempted to regain some semblance of composure. "It's okay." Well, no, it was not even _remotely_ okay, but how was she to refuse Hermione when she looked like _that_?

It was enough that she acted like a lovesick fool daily by virtue of Hermione being the love of her life (she had accidentally volunteered the information following their second date – and honestly, who would _do_ that? they had not even agreed on a third date! oh wait, _she_ did – but she had meant it then and she suspected, _knew_ with all that she was that she would always mean it), but when confronted with _that_ doe-eyed expression, how could she even think to say no?

"No, it's not okay, but I'll make it up to you, okay?" Hermione promised, giving Fleur a quick peck on the lips before moving a reasonable distance away.

"So, what have you kids been up to?" Mrs Granger asked cheerfully upon entering the living room not a few moments later.

Hermione and Fleur exchanged a look and immediately burst into laughter.

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><p>"I really like your parents," Fleur told Hermione as they snuggled in bed after the Grangers had spent the past few hours valiantly introducing Fleur to their impressive array of Muggle board games (the half-Veela kept expecting the pieces to move themselves, which, needless to say, made the process far lengthier than strictly intended).<p>

"You only say that because they let us stay in the same room," Hermione returned, turning to face Fleur with a knowing smirk.

"Zat doesn't 'urt, of course," Fleur purred, skimming her fingertips along the length of Hermione's forearm. "But I suspect I would 'ave found a way to spend ze night with you 'ad zey tried to keep us away in any case."

"Is that so?" Hermione countered, shivering lightly at the teasing touch.

"Well, it 'as been a while since I last 'ad you all to myself."

"I kept telling you to transfer to Hogwarts."

"And _I _kept telling _you_ to transfer to Beauxbatons."

"And be subjected to your schoolmates' particular brand of cordiality for the duration of my stay? No, thank you."

Fleur bit down on the inside of her cheek. Oh, this was going to be so good. "Zey were just surprised to see us togezer. You know I 'ave never been in a serious relationship before you."

"Surprised?" Hermione shrieked, sitting up to properly put the fear of an enraged girlfriend in the blonde. "Try lunatic! Fanatical! One girl actually threw a _knife_ at me, Fleur. A knife!"

"It was a butter knife and she completely missed. It was also probably my fault for kissing you during breakfast before speaking to my friends to prepare zem accordingly," Fleur rejoined half-heartedly.

As a matter fact, she had reacted not entirely differently, almost tearing the girl responsible (an ex-girlfriend she had completely forgotten about, but there was no need to rile Hermione further) to shreds on the spot with her bare hands, but she had just about pulled back her inner Veela upon seeing Hermione quite safe and sound. Everyone remembered to be courteous to Hermione for the rest of her visit to Beauxbatons.

However, Fleur so loved to push Hermione because the brunette always got precisely this way: (sometimes self-)righteous and fervent, her eyes flaring with determination and her mouth set in a thin line to express her steely will. A furious Hermione stole Fleur's breath without fail.

Hermione huffed and turned her back on Fleur. "I knew you'd choose your friends over me."

Fleur blinked in surprise. "Zat's not true and we both know it."

Hermione deflated. "That was a stupid argument, wasn't it?"

Fleur pulled Hermione back down into her embrace. "It's okay. I love watching you get all worked up like zat."

Hermione huffed again. "You're a horrid girlfriend."

Fleur grinned crookedly. "I'm ze best."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Are not."

"Am too."

"Are not."

"Am too."

Hermione scowled. "And you have an awfully high opinion of yourself!"

Fleur angled her head down to steal a kiss from an unreceptive Hermione. "It's only because you've given me zat privilege, _cherie_. I'm ze best only because you're with me."

"Merlin, why must you be such a charmer?" Hermione queried rhetorically, tucking a loose strand of Fleur's hair behind one ear and letting her hand linger on the side of the blonde's face. "I can never stay mad at you for long."

"Is zat bad?" Fleur responded solemnly.

Hermione searched Fleur's eyes and shook her head eventually. "No. No, it's not bad at all."

"Good," Fleur exhaled before claiming Hermione's lips. She was gentle at first, pulling the brunette into a familiar tug of war, but then her lips parted slightly and Hermione's talented tongue slipped through to do that thing that always had Fleur weak in the knees.

Any hope that the rest of the night would conclude on a somewhat virginal note was dashed at that moment. Not that Fleur had any problem with that, which was why she released a distinctly embarrassing mewl of disappointment when Hermione broke away.

"Someone's impatient," Hermione stated with a smirk, sitting up and throwing the covers off of them before lying down on top of Fleur.

"With a girlfriend like zis?" Fleur placed her hands on Hermione's behind and squeezed for emphasis. "I'd be insane not to be."

"Charmer," Hermione repeated with a delighted smile, leaning down to engage Fleur's lips in a more heated dance.

"I do try, " Fleur retorted before silently succumbing to the quickened pace Hermione had set. Her hands were restless over Hermione's back and the Muggle-born witch's hips undulated torturously slowly against her own as she sucked gently on Hermione's bottom lip.

The younger girl's hands found their way underneath Fleur's top, her blunt fingernails drawing invisible paths across a flat abdomen and upward toward a pair of bare breasts. "No bra?" Hermione questioned smugly when she pulled away for a much-needed breather. "Were you hoping to get lucky?"

"I zink I'm _about_ to get lucky," Fleur replied evenly, nibbling at random spots on Hermione's neck to keep herself occupied during the brief lull.

"I think you might just be right," Hermione said with a grin as she grazed already hardened nipples with the flat of her palms. Fleur bucked a little underneath Hermione. The brunette knew Fleur was particularly sensitive there. Smiling mischievously, she repeated the action a few more times. Fleur was practically a mess by the time Hermione decided to spare her and remove her top. "I believe the Japanese have an appropriate expression for this," she mentioned cheekily.

"What's zat?" Fleur asked breathlessly, her chest heaving rapidly as she stared at Hermione intently.

"_Itadakimasu_," Hermione uttered before engulfing a nipple and roughly palming the other breast, rolling the tip first one way and then another.

Fleur had no idea what that meant, nor did she care to find out. All she knew was that it turned her on beyond belief to hear the foreign word slip so effortlessly past Hermione's lips. "Oh Merlin," she whimpered, unnecessarily keeping Hermione's head in place with slightly shaking hands as her heart dropped into a location down below where it proceeded to thunder against Hermione's well-placed thigh with a vengeance. "'Arder," she begged.

Hermione scraped her teeth across the engorged nipple, watching Fleur's face contort with pleasure and her glazed eyes shine down at Hermione with love. "You're so beautiful," Hermione declared reverently against Fleur's flushed chest, leaving a trail of kisses as she moved down to pull Fleur's pyjama bottoms off.

Fleur literally quivered at the blatant hunger Hermione exhibited as she was exposed to her lover. "Please," she pleaded, spreading her legs even further.

"I think I was mistaken," Hermione remarked almost conversationally as she parted swollen, dripping folds with both hands. "The expression would have been better used at this point." She swallowed thickly at the sight before her before closing in to place a kiss on the bundle of nerves.

Fleur jerked, nearly throwing Hermione off of her. "S-sorry."

Hermione chuckled quietly and put her arms around Fleur's thighs to help keep her still before beginning to lap at Fleur's drenched privates, moaning along with Fleur as a broad spectrum of flavours instantly burst in her mouth at the first contact. She would truthfully never get tired of doing this with Fleur, to her.

The blonde was _writhing_, quickly falling apart under Hermione's diligent, skilled ministrations. The brunette was at times almost punishing with her restraint, skirting around where and when Fleur truly needed her. Other times, she seemed equally desperate to bring Fleur over the precipice, her fingers curled and scissored and stroking and flowing in time with the attention lavished at Fleur from her mouth and lips and tongue and teeth.

Over and over again, Fleur approached her high only to be denied with a timely intervention from Hermione. She was close to utilising tears to guilt Hermione into allowing her to come when Hermione finally took pity on the blonde and prepared to enter her with three fingers. Fleur herself was more than set to scream her off because she knew it would be _that _mind-blowing, but suddenly –

"Girls?"

They froze in place and looked at each other in horror.

"Girls?" Mr Granger called again, knocking several times for good measure.

"Y-yes, dad?" Hermione answered, her voice tellingly lower in register than usual. She cleared her throat as inconspicuously as she could and hoped for the best. "Did you need something?"

"Your mother has a craving for ice cream and I'm going for a snack run to play the role of the dutiful husband." He laughed softly at his own joke. "Would you want me to get you and Fleur something?"

"Uh, no, dad, I think we're fine." _Just go already, please._

"All right then. Have a good night, sweetie."

"You too, dad." She waited for a short while before allowing herself to relax enough to speak, "Oh Merlin, that was _too_ close. You okay, love?"

Fleur was much, much paler than typical underneath Hermione. "I zink my 'eart stopped beating for a while. 'Ermione, I don't zink we should continue."

Hermione pouted. To say she was disappointed would be an understatement, but she understood Fleur's reaction completely and respected that the blonde took the initiative to make the difficult decision. That did not mean she could not at least try to change Fleur's mind. Like her girlfriend had pointed out earlier, it _had_ been a long time since they were last together. "Are you sure? I'm sure he won't be coming -"

"Girls?"

Hermione closed her eyes and cursed quietly. She should have known better than to jinx herself. "Yes, dad?"

"I heard a few – well, _odd_ noises earlier. Is everything okay?" There was a short pause. "Fleur's not sick, is she?"

It was Hermione's turn to blush uncontrollably. She instinctively wiped her still sticky fingers on the bed sheets before responding, "No, dad. She's just fine. We were – uhm, we were just – just fooling around."

Fleur's eyes widened in disbelief and she mouthed Hermione's closing words back at her.

"Oh, okay." Did her father sound doubtful or was Hermione just being paranoid? "Well, I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

"Good night, dad," Hermione returned. She was flushed almost as badly as Fleur by now. "Okay, I don't think _I_ can pick up from where we left off."

"No more sex when your parents are at 'ome," Fleur decided as she covered them both with the pile of discarded duvets.

"You won't hear any complaints from me," Hermione grumbled as she rested her head on Fleur's shoulder, an arm thrown across her girlfriend's stomach. "It sucks though."

Fleur smiled at Hermione's adorableness. She knew she should agree wholeheartedly. Her entire body was still thrumming from their earlier activities after all. "We'll just 'ave to make sure your parents get out a lot more often, won't we?"

Hermione released a surprised chortle. "Or I could ask for my room to be soundproofed as a Christmas present."

Fleur lifted an eyebrow. She was not certain what that meant, but she could guess at it. "But for now, _ma précieuse_, 'ow about a simple cuddle? I love cuddling with you."

Hermione nuzzled Fleur's neck, feeling less like she was burning and more like she was enveloped in all-encompassing warmth. Fleur just had a way of soothing her. "What a coincidence. Me too."

Fleur laughed. "Good night, 'Ermione."

"Good night, Fleur."

"I love you."

"I love you."


End file.
